Scientists struggle to lower cost of fuel cell energy.

AuthorFein Geoff S.
PositionDefense Technology

Fuel cells have been around for more than 100 years. But the availability of fossil fuels and thee high cost of producing energy from fuel cell's have made the technology slow to catch on.

A fuel cell is a generator that chemically produces electricity from hydrogen and oxygen. It produces DC power like a battery, but, unlike a battery, it never dies, as long as fuel is supplied.

In 200Z there were 4 million phosphoric acid fuel cell customers worldwide. The systems are used in hospitals, schools, power plants, hotels and office buildings to generate power.

Customers are paying $4,500 per kilowatt for that capability. "A steep price," said Dianne Hooie, of the Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory.

The cost of fuel cells hasn't stopped the pursuit of the technology. Under the Department of Energy's Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA), government and manufacturers are working together to bring the cost of fuel cells down to $400 kW by 2010. A lower cost fuel cell could increase the commercial demand for the systems, resulting in even lower costs, said Gary, McVay, director of fuel cell programs at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

The military has been me of...

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